Chancho, a miniature Goldendoodle, reunited with his Utah family on Friday after he was taken from his crate at Campland on the Bay earlier in the month.
"This was Chancho's first big trip and he gets kidnapped. What a surprise!" exclaimed Liam Grillo.
At around 4 a.m. on Aug. 2, the family noticed Chancho was not in his crate outside of their tent. After searching endlessly for Chanco the family checked on security footage and saw what appeared to be Chanco being led away on a leash at around 2:30 that morning. The family then notified the San Diego Police Department.
"I was really sad. I didn't know where he was," young Liam said.
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The SDPD responded and started investigating the case by reviewing tips after the family posted flyers around the area.
"We were following leads, and going through footage," said SDPD Detective George Nicholes.
Detective Nicholes also looked at footage taken at the campsite and saw a man entering the park without a dog and then saw him leave with a dog. The suspect, identified by police as Johnny Smith, was arrested Thursday and booked on felony theft charges. The family was then notified and drove Thursday night to San Diego from Utah to pick up Chancho.
"We felt absolutely ecstatic. Just so grateful honestly that our detective [Nicholes] has done so much work on this and was so proactive in helping and quick to respond to all of our questions," said Hannah Grillo.
"We were happy to reunite the family," detective Nicholes said.
When NBC 7 asked what they plan to do now, they said, "He is just going to be taken care of and loved and played with."
Clear The Shelters
The SDPD reminds pet owners they can do the following to keep their pets safe:
- Consider microchipping your dog and keep your contact details up-to-date, especially if you move or change your telephone number.
- Consider purchasing a GPS pet tracker that can attach to your dog’s harness or collar.
- Make sure your dog always has a collar and ID tag with your name and address on it.
- Take clear photographs of your dog from various angles and update them regularly. Photos with owners help police prove ownership should the animal go missing.
- Don’t leave your dog unattended or let them off leash if you’re in an unfamiliar area
